Dick Kamuganga’s paper “Does Intra-Africa Regional Trade Cooperation Enhance Export Survival”, was presented and chosen as best research paper by a young African scholar at the 2012 African Economic Conference (AEC) in Kigali, Rwanda. “The goal of the prize was to recognise and encourage research among young Africans,” said a statement from the African Development Bank, which delivered the award.

Dick Kamuganga is an alumnus from the Graduate Institute where he obtained a Master in International economics in 2007. He is also currently pursuing a PhD at the Institute. His paper explores whether intra‐African regional trade cooperation increases the likelihood that export relationships will survive longer once established at exporter‐product‐market level. It also shows other underlying factors that restrict or enhance the survival of an African export relationship.

Dick Kamuganga’s work argues that sustainable export expansion is a key priority for all African countries to achieve sustainable economic growth. It also examines the effects of intra‐regional trade cooperation on sustainability of Africa’s exports within Africa and to the rest of the world. His findings show that the depth of regional integration matters when it comes to lowering Africa’s export hazard rates relative to countries that are not in any regional cooperation.

Discussing his work, Dick Kamuganga said that regional trade cooperation in Africa would greatly reduce export duration, and would result in a reduction in infrastructure-related trade frictional costs. Benefits of regional trade cooperation would include a reduction in border procedures, harmonisation of documentation, product standards and elimination of border tariffs.

Full article by David Mugabe in NewVision, 09.11.2012